French Lentil Soup - Comfort Food For Winter

60-MINUTE GOURMET

Americans have developed a newfound passion for legumes and grains. In restaurants these days, I find a great range of salads and appetizers made with lentils, chick peas, white beans and black beans.

I recently had a main course of roasted duck with delectable little wheat berries, which have a faintly sweet flavor. Then there are couscous, kasha, barley and the nutty tasting quinoa.

Being French, I am most familiar with lentils, which are traditionally served with sausages, in soups and with game.

Here is one of my favorite recipes for French lentil soup, a winter soul warmer if there ever was one. Onions, garlic and thyme are the principal seasonings. Rice lends the soup a secondary texture and thickens the broth. Served with a fresh chunk of country style bread, this is a soothing cold-weather lunch.

Leeks and potatoes make for another classic French soup, a particularly easy and satisfying one. A homemade chicken stock makes all the difference.

Homemade croutons add a final touch to these simple soups.

Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onions

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1/2 pound dry lentils

1/2 cup uncooked rice

6 cups fresh or canned chicken broth

2 cups water

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1/2 cup heavy cream, half-and-half or milk

2 tablespoons finely chopped chervil or parsley

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add the onions and garlic. Cook briefly, stirring, until wilted. Do not brown.

Add the lentils, rice, broth, water, salt, pepper, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer for 30 minutes. Scoop out 1 cup of the lentils, rice and broth and set aside.

Remove and discard bay leaf. Put the remaining soup through a food processor or food mill and process until fine. This may have to be done in two or more operations.

Return the soup to the pan and add the reserved cup. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle with the chervil or parsley. Serve piping hot with croutons.

Leeks have a great deal of sand between the leaves and must be carefully cleaned. To do this, trim off the root end and cut off and discard the long green stems. Split the leeks lengthwise from the stem end, then turn and split them one more time. Rinse well. Separate the leaves under cold running water, then chop into 1/4 -inch pieces.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/4 -inch cubes (about 2 cups).

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan; add the onions and the chopped leeks. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until wilted. Do not brown.